Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-05-12
ABOUT SEED CORN.


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Termination Than Age.
There is now and then season whe,
seed corn will not grow well, and mucl
trouble is had on this account. Las
spring hundreds. of acres of corn had r.
be planted over and some fields tbre,
times. But for u remarkably warm au
tumn, there would have been a grea,
loss in the corn crop. and with all o.
the favorable weather to ripen the late,
| planted, it was not a full crop. AL
of this loss and worry comes from
care!essness in the saving of the seed
While it is always best to select tn,
most forward and perfect ears, it is
not necessary to do so, in order to get
seed which will grow. 1 selected 10,
OF seed the. year before which was
barely glazed when the first frost came
the last of September. and this seed
would all grow. have gathered seed
corn which was in the milk when the
ears were p!ucked, and it would grow.
have no doubt but that corn will
grow as soon as the chit. or germ, is
fully formed. This is the part which
terminates. and the matter around it,
forming the kernel, is simply food
stored up for the root and blade eman-
ating from the germ to feed upon,
until the main root throws out lateral
rootlets, which take up food from the
ground.
When seed corn freezes, the glucose
becomes soured, and this is fatal to its
growth; and this freezing will always
take place when there is enough moist
ure in the corn to cause it to freeze.
When corn is well dried before cold
weather it will always grow unless it
has been SO moist or wetted that it has
already fermented or sourcd on tho
cob. This is evident when the cob has
a red. or black, or rusty appearance.
Such corn will never grow. The cob
should be clean. white, or its natural
color. and have no rank smell about it.
Bad-smelling corn should always be re-
jected, or corn with blackcned chit
or soft one.
When plucked in August, or perhaps
early in September and hung up with
the husks off. in the sun. corn will
usually get dried or cured enough to
grow well. 1t is best not to wait till
the whole field is ready to cut up. or to
gather, before selecting the seed corn.
as an untimely frost may spoil it, or
the time may be too short to admit of
its becoming thoroughly cured before
freezing weather shall set in. The
safest way is to make it matter of
some care and attention to save the
seed corn, and to 60 into the field and
select the earliest ears, and from Wig
orous stalks. and when there are two
ears on one stalk, ''twist'' or braid
them in short punches of about twenty
five ears, and hang them in some room,
where they will be protected from tho
wet and where they can not freeze,
until perfectly dry. If a fire should be
put into the room, all the better, as
there is no possible danger of getting
it dried too much. Any thing short of
cooking it will do no harm
and makes its terminating strength
greater.
In old times the kitchen overhead
beams were ornamented with the
''twists" of corn, and an extra stock of
seed was always kept on hand. to pro-
vide for an unfavOrable or unfOr tunatc
season.
1t IS never safe to save seed corn
which has been hus ked from Il pile on
The barn floor, or which has been piled
up anywhere, with an oppor tunity to
neat and mold. Such is generally tho
case when it is first drawn from the
ield; and the later-harvested does not
give full opportunity for its getting
ully cured before winter. In the
Vest, the corn is left gener ally on the |
ill, the stalks not being cut up, and
he ears dry thus. and are plucked and
thrown into a wagon, and if husked |
ire taken directly to the crib. If not
lusked, the ears are thrown in a biz !
bile with the husks on, until the farmer
,ets the crop gathered. or until it suits
lis convenience to strip them. and then
tut them in 4 crib, or haul them to the
nearest market where they are cribbcd.
shipment. or fitness to shell
md ship. Seed selected from such
is always attended with risk.
few years ago the West lost millions
# dollars from poor seed, and from
PLANTING variety not early enough for
he latitude. This is a common mis-
axe in all kinds of seed planting, and
IN this account it is best to rely on
ome supply, or to procure kinds well
:nown to be adapted to the location.
know of a variety of yellow fruit
which has been grown in the same fam
y for nearly seventy years. and it has
cen :lade earlier by selection. so that
crop of sound corn is always had.
IS pfoductiveness is also improved.
he losses in one years crop and the
xtra labor expended will more than
quail the painstaking of lifetime,
nth the satisfaction Of certainty added.
D that it is evident that special care
18th the seed corn will always pay
'ur Country Home.
Manure is relief against drought
nuSheS IN the UrO,yfh of tho nl.nk | ,